Trolley catcher and retriever.



Patented Apr. I, I902. C. F. WILSON. TROLLEY CATCHER AND RETRIEVER.

(Application filed Aug. 12. 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 696,78l. Patented Apr. I, I902. G. F. WILSON. TROLLEY CATCHER ANDBETBIEVER.

(Application filed Aug. 12, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Shaets-Shoet 2.

NlTlE fiTATns PATENT Trips.

CHARLES F. \VIIrSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

T ROLLEY CATCHER AND RETRIEVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,781, dated April 1,1902.

Application filed August 12, 1901. Serial N0- 7L808. (NoniodeL) To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. WILsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, county of Kings,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Trolley Catchers and Retrievers, of which the following, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exactspecification. I

My invention relates to that class of devices intended to operate inconnection with the trolley-rope for the purpose of automaticallyWinding the same under certain conditions. Heretofore these devices havebeen arranged or adapted to catch or arrest the trolley-rope when thetrolley by accident left the line above, or they have been arranged towind up the trolley-rope after the trolley has been forced or carriedfar enough above the line to trip the winding mechanism, thereby pullingthe trolley down.

The primary object of mypresent invention is to provide or produce adevice which will operate to check any further rise of the trolley assoon as it leaves the line and which will operate also to Wind up thetrolley-rope, and thus draw the trolley down below the line.

Subordinate objects are to make the device of few and simple parts, easyand certain of operation, applicable in connection with any trolley-lineor upon any car, so that the catching or checking device may be operatedwithout calling into action the powerful winding device and so that thepowerful winding device may be employed independently of the checkingdevice, if so desired.

To accomplish all of the foregoing objects and to secure other andfurther advantages in the matters of construction, operation, and use,my improvements involve certain new and useful arrangements orcombinations of parts and principles of operation, as will be hereinfirst fullydescribed and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figurel is an exteriorview or outside elevation of my improved device, thesame being shown detached from the car. Fig. 2 is an axial section andelevation of the same, showing the interior parts constructed andarranged for operation in accordance with my invention and involving myimprovements. Fig. 3 is a cross-section and elevation on planes throughthe broken line (B x of Fig. 2, showing the main windingspring and thedrum-holding dog, the casing or drum being slightly turned from theposition it occupies in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan showing fragments ofthe back and of the winding-drum and illustrating the arrangement andlocation of the holding-dog corresponding with Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is across-section and partial elevation through the drum, on a scale smallerthan previous figures, and illustrating the general arrangement andlocation of the catching or looking dogs by which the spool is arrested.

In all the figures like letters of reference Wherever they occurindicate corresponding parts. 7

A is the back-piece of the machine, made sufficiently strong for thepurpose intended and calculated to be fixed upon any convenient point ofthe car and by any suitable means, preferably so that it may be detachedwhenever necessary, as is customary in devices which operate upon thetrolley-rope.

B is a central stud operating as an axle for the spool and drum, thesame being fixed with respect to the back-plate in any substantialmanner. By preference I thread it into the back-plate, as indicated inFig. 2, and then rivet it securely in place.

O is a spool on which the trolley-rope D is wound. This spool isjournaled on the axle B and is automatically controlled by a spring E.This springE is calculated to wind the spool C, so as to keep thetrolley-rope taut,but not with sufficient power to draw the trolley downoff the trolley-line. Connected with this spool and so as to revolvetherewith around the axle are two dogs F F, the same being pivoted andconnected substantiallyas shown in Fig. 5, their outer ends beingslightly weighted, if

necessary, and the whole arrangement being such that when the spool O isturned rapidly enough the outer ends of the dogs F will by centrifugalforce be thrown farther from the center. If the trolley rises slowly,the trolleyrope turns the spool and'winds the spoolspring, and as thetrolley is gradually low ered, as by reason of the height of thelinewire, the spring slowly turns the spool and winds up thetrolley-rope, thus always keeping a light strain on the rope or enoughto keep it taut.

When the trolley leaves or jumps thelinewire, a sudden turn is given thespool through the trolley-rope, and this causes the dogs to swing outand engage or lock with the casing, instantly arresting the furtherturning of the spool, and consequently preventing any further rise ofthe trolley.

The casing is supplied with suitable stops, as a (1, against which thedogs are arrested as soon as they swing-outward under the rapid movementof the spool. The arresting of the further upward movement is calledcatching the trolley and devices for effecting the result are calledtrolley-catchers.

The device so far explained is substantially such as is described andclaimed in the patent granted to me January 11, 1898, No. 597,159, andof course is notintended to be specifically claimed herein.

In the patent above named the casing within which the spool is locatedis made fast to the back, because it is not expected to turn, and thepatented device is not intended to draw the trolley down below thetrolley-line. In my present invention, however, I mount the casing forthe spool so that it shall turn with respect to the back, and I utilizethis casing as a drum on which the trolley-rope may be wound, so as todraw the trolley down. Other devices have heretofore been made fordrawing the trolley down. These are called trolley-retrievers.'lheydosomething more than merely arrest the upward movement of thetrolley after it leaves the line.

G is the casing, which Iuse for a windingdrum. It is supplied with a hubG, which for convenience I make to turn upon the axle .B, the same axlewhich sustains the spool. 'To accommodate this hub and make it longenough to afford the desired bearing without unnecessarily increasingthe length of the machine, I recess the inner side of the backplate A,as indicated in Fig. 2, so as to accommodate a portion of this hub; butother means of mounting the casing so that it will turn may be employed,if desired, and the back-plate may be plain instead of being recessed,if preferred.

In the construction shown the back-plate A is provided also with aflange A, extending a little way into the drum, affording a convenientcompartment within which to locate the drum-actuating spring.

H is the drum-actuating spring, which is very much stronger than thespring E and of ample power to wind the drum, so as to insure thepulling down of the trolley whenever the spring is brought into action.This spring H is fixed at one end upon the stationary back A, as by astud b, and at the other end it engages with the hub G of the drum G orwith some other part of said drum,

action of the spring.

so that when the spring is wound and the drum free to move it will beturned by the One means of making this connection is indicated in Fig.3, wherein the inner end of the spring engages with ledges formed on thehub G. This enables the hub to be connected with the spring at anydesired position of the hub in order after the device has been affixedto the car the drum may be turned so that the trolley-rope will lead outof it'fairly and so that the spring is in position to be wound upwhenever required. To eifect the windingup of this spring H, it is onlynecessary to take two or three turns of the trolley-rope around the drumG and then pull on the free end of the rope. This will effect theturning of the drum, and consequently the winding of the spring. In thismanner the spring maybe wound up to any desired degree of tension. Ofcourse the farther it is wound up the farther down it will pull thetrolley when it is allowed to act. It might be wound by other means orin other ways, if preferred.

To hold the drum and the spring H in wound-up position, I employ a dog,as I. This is sustained in a suitable frame or support K, affixed to theback of the machine, and it is pivoted in the frame, as on a pivotpin 0,or in any other suitable way, and it is held normally out of engagementwith the drum, as by a spring d, which through a suitable pin bears downupon an arm of the dog projecting back of the pivot-pin c. The casing ordrum Gis suitably notched, as at e, at one or more points or otherwisesuitably fashioned to permit engagement therewith of the dog I when thenotch or recess is brought to the proper position. After winding thedrumspring as above explained, either by use of the trolley-rope or byother means of turning it, the dog is pushed down into engagement withthe drum and against the action of the spring (I. For this purpose thedogis supplied with a convenient thumb-piece). Being in engagement withthe drum, the dog holds the spring II from unwinding, and the strain ofthe drum upon the dog prevents its disengagement until that strain isreleased. With the machine constructed and arranged as so far explainedit is plain that whenever the trolley leaves the trolley-line its quickupward movement tends to turn the spool 0 very rapidly, and at thatinstant the dogs F fly out and engage the outer drum, the force of thejerk being thus transmitted to the outer drum. This operates to turn theouter drum back very slightly against the action of the spring H, andthis is sufficient to release the dog I, so that then the spring Heifects the rotation of the drum, and thereby the winding up of thetrolley-rope, and thus the pulling down of the trolley. It is in thisway that the trolley is retrieved.

The catcher will operate the same as in my above-named patent eventhough the winding-drum be not called into action, the drum IIO thenmerely operating as the casing which contains the spool. The drum maybeemployed Without utilizing the catcher-spool, if

so desired.

L is merely a plate for closing the springcavity in the spool andturning about the securing screw-pin M, which enters the axle B; butthese details are not essential to my invention.

The improved deviceis simple of construction and arrangement, not liableto get out of order, and it will be found to admirably answer all thepurposes or objects of the invention hereinbefore alluded to. It is buta trifle larger than the catcher heretofore employed, and theutilization of the catchercasing for the winding-drum enables me to makethe device of length only a very little greater than that of the catcheralone.

Having now fully described myinvention, what I claim as newherein, anddesire to se' cure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character herein set forth, the combination with aspool carrying dogs, of an outer casing arranged to turn with respect tothe back-plate, the same being supplied with an operatingspring andcalculated to wind the trolley-rope upon its exterior,substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the revolving drum and its operating-spring, adog for holding said drum against the action of the spring, and meanssubstantially as described for releasing said dog by turning the drumagainst the action of the spring, substantially in the manner and forthe purpose set forth.

3. In a device of the character herein set drum being mounted upon andarranged to turn upon the same axle, substantially as shown and for thepurpose set forth.

4:. In a device of the character herein set forth, the combination withthe spring-actuated exterior drum and the stationary back, of a dog forholding said drum against the action of its actuating-spring, said dogbeing supported upon the back and held normally free from engagementwith the drum, substantially in the manner and for the purpose setforth.

5. In a device of the character herein set forth, the combination of thespool, the dogs carried by said spool, a revolving casing for the spool,a stationary back, and a dog for engagement with the drum, the drumbeing actuated by a spring and being mounted upon the same axis as theinner spool, substantially asshown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. \VILSON.

Witnesses:

O. SEDGWICK, WoRTH Oseoon.

